Hurricane Beryl strengthens into a Category 4 storm as it nears the southeast Caribbean

Hurricane Beryl has strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm as it approaches the southeast Caribbean. The region began shutting down Sunday amid urgent pleas from government officials for people to take shelter. Hurricane warnings are in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The National Hurricane Center in Miami warned Beryl was “forecast to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge … as an extremely dangerous hurricane." Beryl was located about 310 miles (500 kilometers) east-southeast of Barbados. It had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph) and was moving west at 21 mph (33 kph). It is a compact storm, with hurricane-force winds extending 15 miles (30 kilometers) from its center.